Listening pillow



y 21, 1964 c. L. MGLEAN 3,141,179

LISTENING PILLOW Filed July 16, 1962 IN V EN TOR.

31.. V05 L-. Ala LEAN United States Patent C) 3,141,179 LISTENING PILLOW Clyde L. McLean, R0. Box 144, Menoken, N. Dak. Filed July 16, 1962, Ser. No. 209,885 1 Claim. (Cl. --337) This invention relates generally to head rests. More specifically, it relates to head rests, wherein the ears are left unencumbered during reclining positions.

One object of the present invention is to provide a listening pillow upon which a person may lay in a sideways direction, and wherein the ear adjacent the pillow is left free and unencumbered, for the purpose of listening therewith.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a listening pillow, whereby a person can listen with both ears, although a person is reclining with his head in a side-ways direction, and the head is apparently resting on the side of one ear. It is well known to those skilled in the art that the enjoyment of listening to present day hi-fidelity music from phonographs, radios, and the like, requires the use of both ears, particularly so, when music of stereophonical or binaural eifect is played. Very often, people desire to hear music while they are testing in bed or reclining upon a sofa, or the like. Such persons may recline with their heads in a side-ways direction, the head resting upon one ear buried in a pillow. Such persons then hear the music only through the opposite one ear, and, accordingly, lose the benefits of stereophonic or binaural sound, and lose the finer qualities of musical overtones.

Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a listening pillow, whereby a person may rest his head on one side in reclining position, and permit the ear on the downward side to hear equally as well as the exposed ear.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a listening pillow, having means for sound waves to pass into the center part thereof, and gain access to a persons ear resting thereupon.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a listening pillow, bearing the above objects in mind, which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the present invention, showing a portion thereof broken away, and indicating the position of an ear of a person relative thereto during reclining position;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the lines 22 of FIGURE 1, and looking into the direction of the arrows thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, showing a modified form of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, showing another modified form of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is still another perspective view, showing a further modified form of the present invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view, showing a further possibly modified form, incorporating the present invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 represents a listening pillow, according to the present invention, whereby there are a pair of discs 11 made preferably of foam rubber or other equivalent soft material. These discs have a generally circular outer periphery, and they are provided wtih a central opening 12, which is of circular configuration, the said central opening through the entire disc. These discs may be of a size approximately between twelve to six teen inches in diameter, having a thickness from one and a half to two and a half inches in closed position, and having a central opening of approximately three to four inches in diameter. These dimensions are offered only as a suggestion, and are not to be construed as a limitation in the present invention. Between these two foam rubber discs, there are compression coil springs 13 as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. These coil springs have compressive resistance to prevent collapse upon support of a load thereabove, such as a persons head. Each of the foam rubber elements is enclosed within an outer cover 14, which may be made from any material which would be comfortable for placement adjacent the head of a person, and which may be decorated in any pleasing design or color. The foam rubber elements and the compression springs are enclosed together, or are otherwise retained in fixed position together by means of a peripheral lattice work or material 15, which permits the entry of sound waves therethrough into a compartment 16, within which the springs are located.

In operation, a person can recline with his head upon the pillow in a manner so that one of his ears 17 depends into the opening 12, as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. In such position, sound waves from a radio or phonograph enter through the peripheral material 15 into the chamber 16, thence, into the central Opening 12, thus, direct sound waves are brought undisturbed to the persons ear 17, and a person may be able to listen critically with both ears equally well, at the same time.

In FIGURE 3 of the drawing, there is shown a modified form of the construction, wherein the listening pillow is of generally oval configuration, and having a pair of central openings 31, thereby permitting a person to roll his head over from one side to another, and at all times, having the lower ear in a position to clearly hear.

In FIGURE 4 of the drawings, there is shown a listening pillow of generally triangular configuration, and having a central opening 41.

In FIGURE 5, there is shown a further modified form of the invention, wherein the listening pillow is of generally square or rectangular configuration, and having a central opening 51.

In FIGURE 6, there is shown a further modified form of the invention, wherein the listening pillow is of a generally irregular configuration, and having a central opening 61.

It is to be noted in all the modified forms of this invention, there are a pair of foam rubber layers, between which there is a layer of air space, retained by means of a coil spring or other means, so that sound may enter therebetween, through the peripheral lattice work into the central chamber, from where the sound may be clearly picked up by the ear.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be Within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a headrest the combination of a pair of cushion like elements in vertical, spaced apart relationship, an air space between said elements, each of said elements having a single, central opening therethrough and communicating with said air space and means for maintaining said air space between said cushion-like layers, each of said cushion-like elements being comprised of foam rubher and having an outer covering, said covering having an unbroken surface for comfortable placement adjacent a persons head, said means for maintaining said air space comprising a plurality of compression coil springs, one

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 682,871 Hogan et al. Sept. 17, 1901 1,580,210 McCulloch Apr. 13, 1926 2,295,906 Lacour Sept. 15, 1942 2,979,739 Krakauer Apr; 18, 1961 

